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Double Duty: How to Make Volunteering Count Twice

Posted on 04/04/2016

Not only can volunteering be good for the heart and soul, it can do double duty if you choose your volunteering options wisely.

I know what you’re thinking—But I’m already doing good. How can it be better than that? You could be killing two birds with one stone (figuratively, of course). Check out these ways to make sure your volunteering counts in more ways than one.

Work Out and Help Out
Use volunteering as a way to get in a workout. The great thing about volunteering for organizations is that a lot of them have some work that requires activity and movement. Although some nonprofits have heavy lifting and grunt work, it doesn’t have to be hard manual labor.

You could volunteer to be a greeter at a fundraising event where you’ll need to walk around all night and say hello to people. You could pick up fundraising materials and hand deliver them to different locations. Use your volunteering as a way to get active, no matter what level of engagement.

Take a Break
But wait, isn’t volunteering supposed to mean putting in work? Absolutely. But if you use volunteering in the right way, it can also help provide an escape from your day-to-day. Use your volunteer time to switch up from what you do at your daytime job so that your mind can be exercised in different ways. That means getting work done while simultaneously taking a break!

Perfect a Hobby
Talents can be applied in the most creative ways at nonprofit organizations. Offer up your hobbies for free so that you get to do something you love while helping a good cause.

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Volunteering can be a time to try something that you’ve always wanted to try, but never had a reason to try. Do something that makes you a little uncomfortable. Maybe that means talking in front of people, or speaking up in front of a crowd. Being a little uncomfortable is ok, because pushing past comfort zones is how we continue to grow as a person.

Make Great Contacts
When you volunteer or take on a new task, you meet some pretty fantastic people. The best part is that you already have something in common; you both have a heart for the same type of organization. Use that as a starting block to make new friends and new contacts in the community.